Process for treating oils



heb.` 7, 192s.

R.J.DEARBORN PROCESS FOR TREATING OILS Filed April 18. 1922 wventoz Patented Feb.` 7, 1928.

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 4

RICHARD J. DEARBORN, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE TEXAS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

PROCESS FOR TREATING OILS.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial No. 555,040.

My invention relates to processes flor con.- verting high boiling hydrocarbon oils into low boiling oils and has special reference to a cracking process for producing gasoline 5 in which aluminum chlorid is employed as a catalytic agent.

It is well known that when hydrocarbon oil' is distilled in the presence of anhydrous aluminum chlorid a greater or less proportion of the oil is converted into lighter oil while the aluminum chlorid forms a sludge or mass, which is very difficult to break up and has a tendency to coke on the walls of the chamber in which the mixture is located. One object of my invention is to provide a process 'in which heat is applied to oil which is completely free from aluminum chlorid and is discharged into/fa vaporizing or distilling chamber where it is brought into contact with aluminum chlorid, but without additional heat being supplied.

Other' objects and advantages of my 1nvention will be set forth hereinafter, and I will now describe the same with reference to the drawing and point out -the novel features thereof in the appended claims.`

The single figure of' the accompanying drawings is a partially sectional diagrammatic elevation showing a converting apparatus adapted for practicing my invention.

The apparatus comprises a coil 10 which is charged with fresh oil by a pump 11 and discharged through a. pipe 12 having a valve 13, into a still 14. The coil is composed of a large number of sections connected in series relation so as to provide an elongated passage through which the oil travels at high speed. The ends of the coil as shown in the drawings, extend outward through the walls of the furnace 15, so that the intermediate portions of the coil only and not the turns or joints, are subjected to the full heat of the furnace.

The furnace is provided with a burner such as 16 or is arranged in some other suit-- able manner to sup ly heat to the coil.

The still into which the coil discharges is provided with insulation 17 or is lagged in some suitable manner topprevent loss of heat.

It contains liquid which is maintained above `the inlet pipe 12 as shown in the drawing. A small vapor space is maintained above the level of the oil in the still and discharges through a vapor line 18 into suitable air condenser-s or separators 19. Condensate from the separators, flows through the back trap line 2O having a liquid seal 21, and through the control valve 22 into the still at a point considerably below the inlet 12. 'lhe still is provided near the bottom with a draw-oil' pipe 23 having a valve 24..

The vapors passing through the air condensers or separators-19, flow through the line 25 into a water cooled condenser 26, and are finally discharged into a running tank 27 from which condensate may be withdrawn as desired.

The heat-supplied to the coil in the furnace is preferably suflicient to enable the oil to crack in the presence of aluminum chlorid without the addition of further heat although heat may be applied to compensate for losses therein, and the oil is forced through 4the coil by the pump 11. The temperatures to which the oil is heated may vary with the character of the cracking stock and with the products desired, but in general lie between about 450 to 650. F., although a variation from these limits is not precluded. It is the intention of the present invention to merely heat the oil to the temperatures at which it will suitably react with aluminum chlorid tol eliect distillation from the reaction zone of lighter oils such as gasoline; the temperatures attained in the heating -Zone should therefore be considerably less than those necessary to effect a material degree of pyrogenic cracking.

The oil may be maintained under pressure not only in the coil but also in the still, in which case pressure preferably extends through the system beyond the running tank 27. y

One of the principal advantages of my invention resides in the fact that the oil is passed once only through the heating coil and none of the oil with which the aluminum chlorid is mixed, is passed back. Moreover, no heat is supplied to the mixture of oil and aluminum chlorid, and consequently the ysludgy mixture resulting when the lighter products of conversion are distilled oft', can readily be treated to recover the aluminum chlorid without being reduced to coke.

The backtrap 20 may, if desired, be run back. and pumped through the coil with the fresh oil. There is provided for this purpose the pipe 29 connecting the backtrap 20 vided for .this purpose.

with the line entering the coil 10. Pipe 29 is provided with pump 30 and valves 31 and 32 for controlling the passage of oil therethrough while the valve 33 serves to suitably adjust the pressures When both pumps 11 and 30 are being operated.

Aluminum chlorid may be introduced into the still 14 through any suitable opening such as the pipe and valve 34.

I prefer to agitate the mixture of oil and aluminum chlorid during the cracking operation and a rotary stirrer or mixer 28 is pro- It may be driven by any suitable means (not shown).

Apparatus of preferred form and apreferred method of carrying outmy processl have been described for the purpose of showing a Way in which this invention may be used, but the inventive thought on which this application is based, is broader than these illustrative embodiments thereof, and

`I therefore intend that only such limitations be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is: Y

1. A process of makingr gasoline which comprises passing a continuous stream of hydrocarbon oil through a heating zone and raising the temperature of the oil as it passes therethrough to a temperature substantially only suicient to enable it to crack in the presence 'of aluminum chlorid, contactingv the hot oil in a separate reaction zone, and Without additional heat With aluminum chlorid whereby low boiling hydrocarbons are formed and vaporized, condensing a portion of the heavier components of the vapors and passing the condensate directly through the heating zone to be heated and returned to the reaction zone.

2. A process of making gasolinel which comprises passing a continuous stream of hydrocarbon oil through a heatingv zone 'and raising the temperature of the oil as it passes therethrough to a temperature substantially only sufficient to enable it to crack in the presence of aluminum chlorid, contacting the'hot oil in a separate reaction zone with aluminum chlorid whereby low boiling hydrocarbon's `are formed andvaporized, separately collecting in the form of condensate a portion of the heavier components o the vapors, condensing the remainder of the vapors to produce gasoline, and mixing the first mentioned condensate With'the incoming o il to be passed through the heating zone and returned to the reaction zone. l Inwi'tness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April, 1922.

, B. J .ADEARBORN- 

